This is the first in a weekly series on the progression of injured running back Lee Suggs' road to recovery. The redshirt junior from Roanoke injured his left knee against Connecticut on Sept. 1 and is lost for the year. Check back here each week for updates from head athletic trainer Mike Goforth on TD Lee's progression.

September 27, 2001

"Lee began his physical therapy on Wednesday and we're very pleased with where he is at this point. He's going through physical therapy each Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. On Tuesday morning, he is participating in the sports psychology injury group and he is in the training room two afternoons each week. In all, he spends a little less than 10 hours with the whole process.

"He has already resumed weight training with Coach [Mike] Gentry and he shed his crutches for good last Friday. He's wearing a brace as a precautionary measure when he goes to class, but the rest of the time he isn't. He's in no pain, except when doing physical therapy, which is good.

"We measure his range of motion each week and yesterday he was a little past 90 degrees. A normal person is around 135 degrees. He might be able to go past that, but we don't want to push it. As far as his extension, it's at zero degrees, which is outstanding. With most knee surgeries, we have to use an extension board to try and get the leg fully extended, but Lee doesn't have to use that.

"He still has a little bit of swelling, which is to be expected and he's lost a little bit of muscle in that knee. He's lacking about two and a half centimeters of girth above the knee and about a centimeter below the patella. His quad tone is average to above average.

"To be honest, I think Lee is a little bored with this. Here's a high-level athlete who's used to squatting hundreds of pounds and he's in here with one-pound weights. We're having to walk a tight line between keeping him safe and keeping him motivated. But right now, he's craving action.

"Our target is still spring practice right now. With the cartilage being repaired, we have some limitations of how hard we can push him. We have to give those sutures and repairs time to heal. Lee's working with physical therapist Mark Piechoski and Josh Signs from my office. He's going full speed and that doesn't surprise us.

"In all, I'm very pleased. Be sure to check back here each week for more updates."

Mike Goforth
Head Athletic Trainer
Virginia Tech

12/1 - Miami
Blacksburg, Va.
Injured